Well, I very nearly never look at the other boards, but checked John's link because I thought maybe it would be interesting. I was warned about Arai's antics a few weeks ago, but did not see them as a problem for me.

From John's link (remind me not to read these links in the future:
"Well, since Roger Hunter attempted to portray me as someone who automatically disagrees with PhD's like John Vidale, and since that half-time lackey-researcher Chris Sorlien is not above baselessly accusing me of attacking John's character, I might as well go out of my way to make a post agreeing with Dr Vidale. "
But, fair enough for one thing: my posting that my search for "John Vidale" a year or so came up with an attack from "Ara" could have been made by an imposter, or there could be an "Ara" out there who is different from Arai. I did a search for this a couple weeks ago but after a year, and it did not come up in the first 20 or so...it might have been removed, or John is well-enough known that you would not expect it to stay #1.

From Wikipedia: "Lackey (manservant)
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"Lackey" redirects here. For other uses, see Lackey (disambiguation).
A lackey is a term for a uniformed manservant, in its original meaning (attested 1529, according to the OED), which derived from Medieval French laquais, "foot soldier, footman, servant". The modern connotation of "servile follower" appeared later, in 1588 (OED)."

My uniform is zip pants or jeans, and a shirt. I wear a hat when cold. I am more or less my own boss. I get paid half time, but work more or less full time, although if I want to take time off, I certainly can. There are few researchers who can pull off full time "soft money" funding, although the ones who can't get funding at all tend to weed themselves out. I'm not doing too bad, with a long paper in JGR appearing this month, another paper under editor decision for Geology, a couple more in the works, and a couple more with me as 2nd or 3rd author appearing in the last year or 2. I've gotten along pretty well with all graduate students and undergrads that I have worked on on reasearch projects (about 6 people), and that can be an accomplishment.

I have been working fairly hard the last couple of weeks doing something about the "half time" part: I am working on 2 proposals due Dec 1, one as lead, and one as second person....but funding odds these days are about 20% or less, and each proposal if funded is only 2 months/yr salary, so you see the problem. But, at half time I still make more than I would at Walmart. Walmarts abound near here.

When I did check out the other page a few weeks ago I found it really sad...people attacking this page like they don't have anything interesting to post there. If you don't like this page, like I don't like the other one, don't read it, like I don't normally read yours. I've found this page (Earthwaves) to be really good lately, although we could use a few more posters, including maybe a psychic or 2, and maybe 1 or 2 more serious amateur or professional scientists. I guess students in their 20s probably have better things to do...they might bring another perspective to this page.

Okay, I will not speak of the banned and departed anymore.

Speaking of better things to do, we are going to bike the nicest part of the Katy trail along the Missouri River today.
Chris